My Guardian, My Love
by StorytellerStef
Summary: Cassiopeia, "Cas" Grimes, never believed herself to be the kind of girl that needed to be protected. She could handle her own, and she'd never let her bow and arrows out of sight. When the world comes to a gruesome end she and her brother go to save their cousin and his family, but plans never go according to plan.


My Guardian, My Love…

Ft. Daryl Dixon

Cassiopeia's POV:

He saved me when I didn't need to be saved. I'm getting ahead of myself, not to mention in this world being saved is generally the best freaking thing that could happen to a person.

Let me backtrack a little.

My name is Cassiopeia, but most people call me Cassi. My story starts when I found myself walking down a deserted highway beneath a scorching sun with one hell of an empty stomach and a shattered heart.

The end of the world has been said to be a bang but really it was more like a…groan. I'm not a moron and my brother, Liam, god rest his soul wasn't one either. We knew our chances of surviving to see the end of this hell were slim to none. Eventually the creature's now inhabiting earth would get us. I just never thought he'd go first.

I woke up that morning to the sound of a deep growl and my brothers screams. One of the _things_ had him by the throat. He made me promise that if it ever came up that I'd not let him become what _they_ were. It pained me but I promised, and when the _thing_ gnawing on his neck died from my arrow in his head I turned my bow to Liam. "I love you Li," Was the last thing I said to him before I ended him.

I was too broken and too nauseated to hunt so I went without breakfast. I was starving, and dying of thirst but I trekked on. Liam and I had planned to go to the lake were daddy used to take us fishing when we were kids. We were gonna build shelter and try to survive out there for as long as we could. Liam was gone but I was determined to stick to the plan, mainly because there wasn't anything else to do. People were dying left and right. Dying…and becoming monsters.

The sun grew brighter. Why it even bothered to rise anymore I had no idea. I needed to find water, and fast. I'd been walking for what felt like hours. I didn't how much longer I could go before…my vision kept going dark. I decided right then to duck into the woods and search for a spring, or a pond (not sanitary I know but dammit I was desperate). I grabbed my bow and notched an arrow, ready to strike, _might as well get some game while I'm out here._ After the first few days I learned that squirrels can be just as tasty as chicken. As I got deeper into the woods a lot of different noises became apparent; birds chirped their innocent song, and down below on the dirt a familiar little rodent ran for its life. _Bingo._

I watched it run up a tree and was about to shoot when my vision blurred. I got my bearings but not quick enough. My squirrel was hit by an arrow, and it wasn't mine. _Well that just saved me a whole lotta work._ I thought smirking to myself as I placed my arrow back in my quiver. I walked up to the tree (more like stumbled but you get the picture) where it was pinned and was about to free it when a deep voice roared behind me. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

The man carried a crossbow; a nice weapon that put old Sally to shame (Sally is what I called my bow). His clothes were raggedy, more so than mine, and his skin glistened with sweat. My eyes traced up his body, along his muscular arms, and landed on his eyes. His incredible blue eyes.

"I-I…" Was all I could get out before the darkness took me.

…

I woke up in a tent sometime later. I felt different. Like…like I wasn't parched anymore but I was still thirsty and hungry enough to eat a horse. But first things first I had to figure out where the hell I was and I how the hell I got here. Whoever brought me there was gracious enough to take off my boots; I slipped them back on and stepped out of the tent.

"Well, well, well look who finally decided to wake her pretty self up." Laughed a big beast of a man…he kind of reminded me of an old neighbor I had growing up, he was a real son of a bitch too.

"Leave her alone Merle," warned an all too familiar voice. He was sitting on the other side of their small campfire. "Just ignore his dumbass it's what I do."

"And how's that worked out for you?" I asked making Merle laugh what sounded like a witches cackle only deeper.

"Trust me it'll work better for you," he said standing up and dusting himself off; he held out his hand for me. "Come on everybody's been waiting for you to wake up, they wanna meet you."

"Everybody? So it's not just you two chuckle heads?"

"In this world? Fuck no! I woulda gone mad ages ago. I mean can you imagine going through this with just _him?_ " He motioned to Merle who in turn gave me a wide stomach churning smile.

"I woulda shot him after day one, no offense."

"Believe me none taken," I thought I saw a hint of a smile but I couldn't be too sure. I placed my hand in his and let him lead me to wherever 'everybody' was. "I'm Daryl, Daryl Dixon."

"Cassiopeia, call me Cassi." I said. "You know for brothers you two are extremely different."

"How'd you figure that?"

"It's a gift." I explained. "I've always been able to tell siblings from friends or lovers." I blushed madly as I said that last word. I've always been innocent like that. I mean, don't get me wrong I've been kissing boys since I was twelve, and haven't carried a v-card since I was sixteen. It's just things like love or sex are things I felt needed to remain private and…I'm just not use to talking about them so casually. Man, I'm still amazed, after all these years, that the first time even happened at all. I remember the lucky fella was so sweet and just as sexually retarded as I was but it was still really good. The last thing I remember is looking up into his beautiful blue eyes. Now that I think about it he kind of looked like…

"You got a pain in the ass brother too? Or a sister?" Daryl asked.

"Not anymore," I said needing him to drop the subject now more than ever.

"I'm sorry," he squeezed my hand.

"It's okay. He's better off now."

We reached a giant area then near an RV. It was dark except for the glow of the campfire. A group of people surrounded it and out of all of them two faces stood out.

"AUNT CAS!" The little boy ran up to me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"C-Carl?" He nodded smiling up at me. Filled with so much joy at seeing his sweet little face I proceed to squeeze the living daylights outta him. "I missed you so much baby boy. Where's your mom and pop?"

"Cassi," I looked up from Carl's innocent little face and saw an all too familiar brunette looking at me wide eyed.

"Hiya Lori," I embraced her.

"Oh god Rick woulda been so happy to see you," she said. My heart sunk deep into my stomach and shattered.

"He didn't..?" Lori shook her head. First I lost my brother and now I lose my cousin, my favorite cousin. _Oh Ricky._

"Was Liam with you?"

"He was…until this morning when he was…"

"Oh god I'm so sorry honey." She hugged me again. Suddenly there was a clearing of a throat and Lori and I parted. I saw a man with thick dark curls standing a few feet ahead of us with a stupid grin on his face. I'd known this man almost as long as Ricky did; I didn't like him as much though. But at least now I had a reason.

"YOU SON OF A-!" As I approached him memories came back to me. Liam and I had gone by Rick's house when everything started. We got there as this bastard was getting Lori and Carl into his car. We started towards them…he saw us…and he picked up his gun. I heard the growl first and I quickly turned around. One of _them_ was on our asses, a woman this time. I was getting an arrow when I heard the shot. The monster fell dead and beside me a cry broke out. The bullet went through Liam's shoulder before hitting home in the she-devils skull. I looked over at the car and saw him putting the gun away before driving away.

I cleaned and bandaged the wound as best I could but there was no hiding the scent of blood from the monsters.

I think of Liam as my fist collides with his killers face.

"WHAT THE FUCK CAS?!" Shane screamed.

"YOU SHOT LIAM YOU ASSHOLE!" Daryl and Lori grabbed me and tried to pull me back. "YOU SHOT HIM AND THE MONSTERS FOLLOWED THE SMELL OF HIS BLOOD AND NOW HE'S DEAD! AND IT'S YOUR FAULT YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"

"Th-that's not true…" Lori said in disbelief.

"Lori the walker was headed right towards us I had to do something." Shane said still holding on to his bloody nose. "Not my fault they were in the goddamn path."

"BULLSHIT YOU AND I BOTH KNOW DAMN WELL YOU COULD'VE GOTTEN IT WITHOUT HITTING US!"

"Would you keep your voice down before the walkers find us?" Shane snapped at me.

"YOU SON OF A-!"

"Alright alright enough of this, come on." Daryl threw me over his shoulder and started walking away.

"Where are you taking her?" Lori asked.

"She's staying with me," Daryl said.

"W-Why?"

Daryl glared at Lori as he said, "Cause clearly she can't be near that asshole and I'm sure as hell not 'bout to let him come near her."

He carried me away to our tent and as we grew further and further away from the big campfire I heard two different voices.

"I like her," said one chuckling somethin' vicious.

"SHUT UP GLEN!" snapped the other who I recognized as Shane the devil.

This was gonna be one hell of a journey.


End file.
